


Watch The Flames Climb High Into The Night

by whisperingwind



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Firefighters, Harry's actually really sweet and anxious, I got this idea from CF, Liam is a terrible cook and really gullible, Louis is and has a big dick, M/M, Niall and Perrie are paramedics, Niall just wants L & H to make out, Perrie is basically a side chick, Zayn's just kind of around, give it up for firefighters, he wants everyone to get along, hurt!harry, i'm not sure what happened y'all, is that a trigger?, it's angsty, it's complicated - Freeform, it's like love to hate to love again, there's a death but it's not that important, there's also an accident towards the end, there's an addiction to painkillers, this was supposed to be a crack fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-26
Updated: 2014-11-26
Packaged: 2018-02-27 03:35:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2677529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whisperingwind/pseuds/whisperingwind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A loss of one of their own causes a friendship to turn to ashes. Through heartache and pain, the ashes rebuild into something greater than before.</p><p>Harry is a firefighter with an addiction to painkillers. Louis is a firefighter who has a serious stick up his ass.  Niall is a paramedic who really just wants Louis and Harry to make out. Liam is a firefighter and a terrible cook who wants everyone to be friends. Zayn is the new candidate with really pretty hair. Perrie is a side chick paramedic who lives with Harry.</p><p>Title from "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran</p>
            </blockquote>





	Watch The Flames Climb High Into The Night

**Author's Note:**

> Thought I should put out there that I got part of the idea of this story from the FOX TV Show Chicago Fire (the firefighters on there are precious to my heart). Any other ideas are my own interpretations. I really like to think about One Direction as firefighters, drenched in sweat, and saving lives. Ayo. I hope you enjoy.xx
> 
> feel free to give me a follow on twitter @terrestrialhaz (we can be super cool mutuals!)

It's a chilly mid-October afternoon when the call to the station is made and Lieutenant Harry Styles is more than eager.

The calls had been infrequent and hours upon hours of lounging around, for his squad in particular, had taken place in the previous two weeks, due to sudden decline in barbecues and fireworks. He craved the feeling of being a hero and the sight of Lieutenant Louis Tomlinson drenched in sweat.

Harry is the Lieutenant of Rescue Squad, meaning he’s basically a cocky bastard who has training in more than fire rescue, such as water rescue and extraction and will throw that in the truck crew’s face every chance he gets.

"Lieutenant Styles, what's the plan?"

Harry looks up and his eyes meet Louis’s. Harry will go as far as betting that Louis will make it onto squad in no time. With his big biceps and his thick, thick thighs.

He glances away from the brunette boy and over his shoulder at the house that's engulfed in fiery orange flames. Yeah, it certainly is on fire now isn’t it? He gives it a once over, checking for black smoke, usually meaning nothing but bad news.

Louis stares at him in mock annoyance. "Lieutenant Styles."

Harry holds the one minute gesture up to him; Louis supposes it’s better than the alternative middle finger. "Yeah, one second."

He has to make the call here and he doesn't want to be wrong and possibly endanger his fellow firefighters more so than already. He certainly doesn't want to endanger Lieutenant Tomlinson and will go out of his way to keep the angelic man out of danger. He’s got a twisted little crush on the smug bastard, what more can he say?

"I say we raise the aerial and do one last search of the house for any victims. Do you reckon differently, Lieutenant Tomlinson?" Harry glances over at Louis for reassurance.

Louis is quick to nod at him. "No. I agree with you one hundred percent. Horan and Edwards are on standby."

Harry curtly nods at him, avoiding eye contact at any and all costs. He wipes his forehead because it seriously got much, much hotter. He’s going to blame it on the fire and not the fact that Louis is batting his long eyelashes at him. "Payne, Schwartz, and I will start a search on the bottom floor and make our way up. Tomlinson, Boyd the two of you raise the aerial and conduct the search starting on the top floor."

Louis claps a hand onto Harry’s shoulder with the intent of making him hot and flustered, though he does that to himself enough as it is. "Good thinking, Harry."

Harry watches the slightly older man sashay, not walk, fucking sashay away from him. His eyes are focused on his ass. No one’s ass should look that good in over-sized, flared pants. No one’s.

Harry can’t help that he’s desperate for some kind of attention from Louis. "Tomlinson!"

Louis pauses and turns back around, with his eyebrow raised. "Yes Styles?"

"Make sure you’re careful in there. Stay safe Louis," Harry’s eyes widen in realization and he scrambles to find the right words so he doesn’t seem like a bias asshole.” And- uh, you too Boyd."

"Will do. Same goes for you. Your ass better be out here when I come back out or else." Louis mock threatens and Harry can’t fight the grin that breaks out on his face. Like Louis actually has an or else to follow up with. This is the guy who excused himself in the middle of watching a UFC fight because it was too violent for his pretty little eyes to witness.

Liam holds the title of most sour faced expression indefinitely. "I hate to ruin the cute couple moment, but if you haven't noticed - there's a house on fire!"

Harry mutters a curse under his breath, whips his head around, giving himself a bit of a headache in the process, and glares at the owner of the voice. Liam is the newest member to the station. He, not so surprisingly with those impressive rocky mountain abs of his, recently graduated from the academy. He’s only a candidate, which basically means he has to do whatever everyone tells him to do if he wants to be promised a position on Truck. Harry takes advantage of him the most.

"Shut your mouth, candidate." Harry feels his cheeks heat up with embarrassment. Stupid Liam always paying attention to everything. Nothing gets by him does it? "Let's go, the fire isn't going to put itself out now is it?"

He walks ahead of both Schwartz and Payne and begins to slip his gloves onto his rather large hands as he walks. He peeks over his shoulder once he hears the mechanical reeving of the ladder being raised to an upstairs window. The line of concentration across Louis's forehead is blatantly obvious from where he stands. It’s disgustingly cute.

Harry shakes his head clear of any thoughts of the heavenly man that he’d quite frankly like to fuck which should make the idea of him less heavenly, but it doesn’t seem too. He just really wants to see Louis in a frantic, panting state with sweat drenching his unkempt, caramel hair. Can anyone blame him, really.

He pulls the oxygen mask over his face after he heaves the tank onto his shoulders and back. He’s lucky he doesn’t have bad breath or at least he doesn’t think he does, he chews enough gum for his mouth to smell as rich as Donald Trump’s asshole, probably. "Ready?"

Liam sighs obnoxiously. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

Harry holds the title of most annoyed expression indefinitely. “Where’s your enthusiasm, candidate? I would hate to write you up for not having the right attitude.” Schwartz laughs quietly beside him as if this situation was actually somewhat amusing when in reality Harry just likes to mess with Liam and Liam is gullible enough to believe everything Harry says.

Liam panics too much. Harry finds sick pleasure in making him panic. “What I meant was – As ready as I’ll ever be!”

Harry tries his hardest not to laugh. “Mucho mejor.”

“Huh?” Liam looks genuinely confused.

“He said you smell like fish.” Schwartz says.

Harry's outward posture remains serious, “We have a serious job to do gentlemen. Get it together.”

Both boys nod, get out of Harry’s way, and wait for the door to be opened or busted down, really. Harry isn’t a gentle person.

Harry counts to three quietly before throwing the majority of his weight into the wooden door that busts open on contact. He probably could’ve as easily opened it with the doorknob, but there’s no fun in that and Harry came to have a good time.

The intensity of the heat hits Harry as soon as the door flings open. He’s half-surprised his eyebrows don’t fall off.

"Payne take the east side, Schwartz the west."

"You got it Lieutenant." Liam says all too eagerly.

Harry starts a search of the main room, thorough and cautious as always.

"Fire department call out!" His voice comes out slightly muffled from his gas mask, but he's still somewhat understandable.

He worries when there's not a reply, he gets thoughts of someone being unconscious and not being able to call out for help stuck in his mind. Then there’s douchebags in expensive suits that get involved if certain people aren’t found. It becomes a major nightmare.

Harry searches under couches, in closets, and around other small places. People get unpredictable and irrational when there's a fire. All their common sense seems to flush down the toilet when danger occurs.

He can't possibly be searching for more than two minutes before the static sound from his walkie-talkie echoes from his belt. He scrambles quickly to grab it and hold it up to his face. He resembles a cartoon character all on his own with his big Furby eyes and his mop of hair and now he has a ridiculously oversized phone held up to his face. He’s a cartoon character in the flesh.

"Styles, do you copy?"

Harry presses the button on the black device. "Loud and clear."

"Good. Well, the aerial’s raised to the farthest window on the left. We've checked all the windows and they're all locked." Harry recognizes the voice immediately. Louis. He also recognizes the twinge of panic settled in the boys tone. "What do we do?"

Chief Stewart wasn't able to accompany them today. Something about a pie-eating contest. Harry chose not to question it. But it did leave Harry and Louis in charge. A terrible mistake on its own. Of course with Harry's luck his partner hasn't got a clue and that leaves him to make all the decisions. Louis’s lucky he’s cute or Harry would yell at him, probably.

Harry sighs. "Did you try a crowbar?"

"No. That's a good idea. Boyd, go ahead, climb down and grab the crowbar."

"On it boss." Harry can't mistake Boyd's strong Irish brogue for anyone else’s, not even over the static of the walkie-talkie. He kind of sounds like the guy from the Lucky Charms commercials.

"Did you find anything?" Louis suddenly asks after a prolonged silence.

"Not a thing, surprisingly."

Harry's already started headed upstairs and he cringes every time he takes a step higher. The floor boards are creaking beneath him and it's putting him on edge. He's been on stairs that collapsed before and he can honestly say it wasn't the most exhilarating thing he's ever been involved in.

Louis laughs. "Neither with us, obviously. Who locks their fucking windows?"

"Normal people."

Louis furrows his eyebrows together. "I don't lock my windows."

"That explains it."

"Explains what?"

"You're weird. You would be the type to not lock your windows."

Louis snorts. "Nice one, Harry. If anyone’s weird it’s you Mr. I-believe-that-I was-a-hummingbird-in-my-past-life. At least my thoughts and habits are semi-normal.”

Harry is in slight awe that Louis ‘sharp cheekbones’ Tomlinson said his first name, it’s a dream come true. He does it more than once daily but it always makes Harry’s heart clench. The way it rolls off of his accented tongue is gorgeous. Harry’s a teenage girl at heart. “You won’t be making fun of me when my advanced thoughts and I rule the world.”

"Got the crowbar!" Boyd's voice suddenly comes back into play and Harry lets out a loud exhale. The conversation took a strange turn and it was saved by none other than Chris Boyd, the gentleman who can shove four campfire sized marshmallows in his mouth at once.

"Great. I'll see you-" Harry starts to say, but is cut off by an obnoxiously loud shattering noise.

"We're clear!"

"Tomlinson, what the fuck was that?" Harry asks sharply. His facial expression suddenly turns tight with tension, that noise can't possibly be a good thing. It sounded like a window shattering and if it was then they’re essentially fucked. There’s not a vent anywhere else and twiddle-dum and twiddle-dee created one.

"Chris busted the window in. We're going in now." Louis replies as though it were obvious.

"No! There’s no vent! Get out of there now! You were supposed to wait for Schwartz to make a vent downstairs first! I didn’t clear you to bust in yet!" Harry shouts abruptly. "Louis, that creates a vent! Fire goes to where there's oxygen, you idiot, get out now! “He can hardly hear his shouting over the pounding of his heart and the thumping in his ears and the adrenaline rushing through his veins.

"Wait...what?" Harry can mentally picture Louis's shocked expression in his head, the stupid one where his mouth parts and his eyes get big. "Boyd get out of there! Chris!"

Harry can hear the desperate shouts, but deep down he knows it’s too late. He freezes in the spot he’s in. His blood runs cold. This couldn’t be happening. "Everyone down on the ground!" He shouts and he drops to the floor as soon as the flames rising up the stairs. They look as though a large firework went off in the house, sparks of orange, yellow, even tinges of red make for a frightening display.

He figures this is the end. He's going to burn up and they'll be nothing left of him but a crispy body or maybe just ashes. He shuts his eyes. He’s waiting for death to take him and he doesn't want to see his flesh burn off.

Scaring him more than anything is it isn't going to be just him that dies. No, it'll be Payne, the candidate who's engaged and Schwartz the man who's got a little girl on the way and Boyd who's got so much to live for. And maybe even Tomlinson, the man whom he promised himself he'd never let get hurt.

He hears screams of agony and terror coming through the walkie-talkie and echoing of the walls of a room just down the hall after the intense heat passes above him. He can't tell who it is at first, but his thoughts clear themselves and he soon realizes.

He manages to get himself underneath a counter that has an overhang.

He's gripping himself tight. He’s still very much intact and he can hardly believe it. He doesn’t spend much time focusing on how grateful he should be that he isn’t dead. His thoughts are fuzzy; the world’s reeling around him, his thoughts hunger for attention.

He needs to get out of there. That’s exactly what he does.

~~~~

It's a month later when things finally begin to go back to normal.

Louis was on leave for two weeks following the accident for emotional problems and Harry himself is still a wreck.

He can hardly hold his head up. His thoughts have been eating at him and having to face his fellow firefighters only makes it worse on him. He can see the hatred in their eyes. He can hardly look at himself in the mirror. He believes it’s his fault. Everyone keeps dropping hints that they believe that too and it certainly doesn’t help the situation at all.

He can hardly sleep at night. He remembers the terrorized screams distinctly. The way it all felt plays it’s self like a twisted record in the back of his mind and it causes him to toss and turn endlessly. He hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in a month and it’s only starting to begin to become evident.

"As you all know, today marks the one month anniversary of Chris Boyd's death." Chief Stewart begins. He paces back and forth in front of everyone sitting in the conference room. Harry recognizes it as his nervous tick.

Perrie Edwards, an EMT and the lucky girl who happens to be Harry's roommate, turns to look at Harry with pity and a hint of rage. He knows how upset she is, Boyd was a brother figure to everyone, especially her.

The worst part of everything would have to be that Louis hates him. Seriously hates him. And one thing everybody doesn’t want is Louis Tomlinson angry with them. He blames Harry for having to watch one of his best friends burn up in flames. He blames Harry because he made the wrong call and his instructions were not clear. This is all Harry's fault.

"I don't mean to be rude, Chief. But what does the anniversary of his death have to do with anything?" Niall Horan instantaneously asks. He's an EMT as well. Perrie's partner in crime to be more exact, except he’s got a bit more of a loving personality.

He’s easy-going and forgiving. Perrie can hold a grudge for years.

"I'm glad you asked, Horan," Chief clears his throat. "The firehouse is throwing a barbecue on Saturday in honor of Chris's life and I expect every single one of you to be there. It is mandatory. Bring your families, girlfriends, boyfriends. We need to work as a unit again. I think a break from all this dreariness will do us all good."

Louis blurts out, "What if we don't go?"

Chief pauses and glances quizzically in Louis’s direction. "Why wouldn't you want to go?"

"I don't want to be around him."

Harry knows it’s directed at him as soon as the words come out of the outspoken boy's mouth. He shuts his eyes and sinks back in the uncomfortable plastic chair.

"Who are you talking about Tomlinson?"

"Harry,” He speaks his name with such venom. “He doesn't deserve to be there. He killed him for fuck's sake! How do you think Chris's family is going to feel with the man who killed their child attending? This is bullshit!"

Harry isn’t going to stand, well, sit for this any longer. He doesn’t deserve this. He doesn’t deserve such accusations. "You act like I purposely killed him! I’m not the one who shoved his ass through a window Lieutenant!" Harry shouts, large hands slamming down on a table as he stands.

He's not going to be talked to or about in such an accusing way. He's gone through enough this past month, everyone has. He’s not going to take a load of allegation bullshit from some cocky prick.

Harry can’t believe he actually developed feelings for such an asshole. There must’ve been some opaque veil in front of Louis’s personality, one that Harry chose to somehow look past.

He doesn't pay attention to the familiar faces staring at him as he causes total anarchy in the conference room.

He doesn't pay attention to Perrie's quiet voice telling him to pipe down or her hand trying to guide him back to his chair.

He doesn't pay attention to Liam's wide eyed gaze as he also tries to tell Harry to calm down.

He doesn't pay attention to Chief staring at him in shock.

All he pays attention to is Louis and his stupid blue eyes and his exasperated expression.

"Don’t you dare try to put this on me! I was only listening to what you told me!” He pauses. “It doesn't matter. You gave me shitty orders and we both know that. There’s no changing that."

"You're a Lieutenant! You’re as much of a Lieutenant as I am! You could have had better judgment. If you didn't like my orders, you damn well could've made up your own! You’re the one who put him through the window. Remember that, Tomlinson, you led him to his death."

It is way too heated for anyone to get involved, so no one tries.

Louis crosses his arms over his chest and huffs out a breath of hot air. "So now it's my fault?"

"Tomlinson, Styles, my office." Chief bellows. Harry and Louis have their potent gazes stuck on each other. "Now. That's an order."

Harry scoffs and pushes past the tables, set up much like a science lab, bumping people and chairs as he goes. He doesn't miss the "good luck" Liam whispers to him or the trail of curses Perrie mumbles to herself as he goes.

Louis is following behind, but not especially close because, yeah, he’s afraid Harry’s going to turn around and punch him.

This is ridiculous. It isn’t fair that Louis is blaming Harry for Boyd’s death. He’s not the one who let the damn idiot go through the window in the first place.

"You can wait in Chief's office." The receptionist suggests as soon as Harry steps foot into the reception area.

Harry smiles weakly at her. "Thanks Eleanor."

"Not a problem, hon. Chief should be up in a few minutes. As soon as he excuses the meeting he’ll be up,” He nods at her. “Good luck." She smiles sweetly, tucks one of her loose brunette waves back behind her ear, and returns to her fast-paced typing.

Harry walks forward and roughly pulls the door open. It’s going to be a few minutes before Chief concludes the meeting.

Harry doesn’t want to sit in a cramped office with Louis, let alone sit in a cramped office with Louis while Chief lectures the both of them.

He takes a seat on the mucus green couch that's pushed against the wall and crosses his ankles while he waits. Steam should be shooting out of his ears at this point since he is definitely a cartoon character in the flesh.

Louis walks in seconds after and Harry doesn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he's staring. He keeps his head hung low, but still watches him out of the corner of his eyes.

Everything that happened in the conference room was uncalled for and the longer he sits in silence the more he realizes it.

Louis’s face is neutral. He either knows what he said was wrong or he thinks he’s impeccably right as always.

Louis stays standing with his arms crossed over his chest and his back pressed against the wall. He keeps his head hung low too because it’s obvious that Harry’s staring and he doesn’t want him to.

Harry mumbles. "You don't have anything smart to say? That's new for you isn't it?"

Louis doesn't even look up at him. He shakes his head and looks off to the right, outside the window. The fire station is right across the street from an elementary school. There’s kids’ of all ages running around the playground. "If you could so kindly keep your mouth shut it'd be greatly appreciated."

"I don't live to obey you."

"That's right you live to give terrible orders and get good men killed." Louis snaps.

Harry goes to argue, but Chief Stewart comes into the office unexpectedly before he has a chance to object.

"Both of you front and center." Chief orders.

He points to a spot right in front of his desk, shuts the door, and pulls the blinds closed.

Harry gets up from the couch and stands side by side with Louis. He's taller than him by at least half a foot and leaner than him too. Louis is very muscular and Harry has to force himself to not focus on the way his muscles in his arms clench as he shifts positions. He hates that he doesn’t sincerely hate him.

Chief Stewart leans against the front of his desk. He looks between the two boys.

"Chief-"

The buff man cuts him off with a hand gesture. "No. Don't speak."

"Sir-"

"Be quiet Tomlinson."

"Yes sir."

Chief scrubs his hand over his dark scruff on his chin and shakes his head. After a moment of intolerable silence he speaks, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do here." He sighs. "What's the issue? I suppose I'm overlooking it. One of your fellow firefighters has passed and it’s no one’s fault. Unexplainable, fatal problems happen; it’s a probability that comes with the job. So, what exactly is the problem?"

"Well-" Harry starts to say and he can feel Louis's eyes boring into him, instead he lets out a sigh. "Nothing."

"Just the answer I wanted to hear. The two of you can work together, yes?"

"Yes." Harry says.

"Of course." Louis says.

"Good, excellent. I expect to see you both at the barbecue. It'll be good bonding."

"Absolutely." Louis says through his teeth, discretely glaring at Harry out of the corner of his eyes, and seizing his hands into bone breaking fists.

"Well, now that we have that settled, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Of course. Anything." Harry replies quickly, making sure to say it before Louis even gets the chance.

"Today, we're getting our new candidate-"

"You mean Payne's not a candidate anymore?" Harry asks.

He always liked Liam being a candidate because he’s gullible and easy to manipulate. Don't get him wrong he and Liam are very good friends, but it's obvious that Harry is the 'leader' of the friendship. Although Louis is his Lieutenant, it's also obvious Liam would rather be around Harry than Louis just because Harry is more calm, more charming, and more easy-going.

"Correct. Anyways, Zayn-"

Louis scoffs. "Zayn? And I thought Niall was a weird name."

Harry and Chief Stewart roll their eyes. "Anyways Zayn Malik is our new candidate and he'll be filling in for the absence on Truck. I expect the both of you to treat him with respect and to be civil with him and each other, do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." Louis replies.

"Good. You're both free to leave now."

~~~~

Harry's ears practically perk up when he hears Perrie's giggle as she walks down the corridor. "Perrie. Psst. Perrie."

Perrie turns her head in the direction her names being spoken from. She lets out a sigh when she sees Harry. "You sound like a pedophile. I'm not interested unless you've got candy."

"Charming."

"What do you want?"

"Shh. Not so fucking loud. What are you? A damn elephant?"

"I could be. You never know. Except, I'm prettier."

Harry rolls his eyes. "Mm."

"What do you want?" Perrie asks in a quieter tone so she doesn't provoke an argument out of Harry. "If it's important that I stay quiet, why don't you just wait until we get back to the flat to tell me?"

Harry and Perrie have been working and living together for years. They were friends at first sight. Harry started almost exactly two months prior to when Perrie started. They were friends as soon as Perrie walked through the door.

They only knew each other for three months before moving in with each other. They got a small flat that overlooked the busy streets of Manchester. It’s a little ways out of town.

They've been inseparable since. If Harry needs to get something off his chest he goes to Perrie. If Perrie needs to get something off her chest she goes to Harry. Needless to say Perrie's really been there for Harry with the passing of Chris and the drama with Louis.

"Because I need to ask you something right now."

Perrie blinks. "Are you going to ask me or are you just going to stand there with your thumb up your ass?"

"Oh, right, right. Well, you know how I’ve been having reoccurring migraines recently-"

"Didn't you go see a doctor?" Perrie interrupts.

"Yeah! I did and he said that it was normal. He said that they’re stress migraines. I need something to help me out a bit is all,” He lies. He hates doctors and he isn’t going to take time out of his busy schedule to visit one. They act like they know everything. “I was wondering if you could get me some painkillers. Anything’s alright at this point."

"Did you want me to shit them out? How did you expect me to get them for you?" Perrie furrows her eyebrows in confusion. "And anyways I have a hard time believing a doctor didn't give you a prescription for medication, especially for something like that."

"Out of the ambulance." Harry mumbles.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I heard that correctly. What was that?"

"Out of the ambulance. Jesus, Perrie, I want my head to quit hurting. I want to sleep. I can’t do that with my head feeling like it’s about to explode every night. The least you can do is help me out here."

So, maybe the painkillers aren’t for what he’s explaining. Maybe he just wants to be disoriented enough to forget.

"It's stealing!"

"It's not stealing."

"Yes it is! You're asking me to take medication from someone in danger for your own personal need." She crosses her arms over her chest. "And I'm not okay with that."

"One bottle of pain medication, one measly pill isn't going to save anyone's life, you know that."

"I could lose my job!"

Harry realizes in that moment that he should've went to Niall. Niall is more understanding than Perrie is. Niall isn’t afraid of getting caught. He would do it without a second thought, but no not Miss Goody Two-Shoes.

"It's one bottle. You can replace it easily and if you get caught, you can blame it on me."

Perrie stares at him for the longest time before speaking. "Fine," she looks down. "Fine. I will get you the fucking bottle, but this is it. One bottle. If your head doesn't clear up, you're going back to the doctor, Harry."

"I agree with you." He smiles, making sure to use the charm that always seems to work on Perrie. She smiles back weakly before quickly walking away from him and the conversation.

~~~~

"What have we got here?" Louis asks. Which in turn causes Harry to look up from his deck of cards.

He looks over at Louis and the guys from truck to see the group of them walking towards a lanky man with an unfriendly scowl and a mess of hair resembling black satin standing at the entrance of the firehouse. His curiosity gets the best of him and he's out of his seat, slapping his playing cards down in seconds.

He walks over. "Who's this?"

Louis completely ignores Harry's unwanted presence. He continues talking with the dark haired gentleman and turns his back to the curious-eyed Harry Styles.

Harry clears his throat. "Who is this?"

Again, he receives no response from the older boy. Harry rolls his eyes and steps back from the group of sweaty, nicotine smelling men.

That's a thing Harry never understood. They're by smoke most days of the week, most hours of the day and seemingly everyone is still eager to smoke. He'll keep his smoking business for home, not for such a public, work environment.

He walks over to one of the ambulances. "Hey Niall."

The blonde boy turns his head away from the bag of supplies he was going through and looks at Harry. His lips automatically tug into a smile. "What's up?"

Harry gestures to the opposing corner of the garage. "Any idea who that guy over there is?"

Niall comes to the end of the ambulance, sticks his head outside the ambulance, and peers over to the corner. "Nope. Not a clue. Maybe it’s the new candidate. Did you ask Louis?" He heads back into the ambulance to finish taking inventory.

"I tried. He's giving me the cold shoulder still."

"Still? Huh. What's going on with the two of you anyways?"

"It's nothing."

Niall pauses and looks back up and over at Harry. "Doesn't seem like nothing."

"Well it is." Harry shrugs. "It's nothing."

"You keep saying that, but what happened in the conference room earlier was something."

Harry shouts, "It was nothing!" He's torn up about it. He hates that Louis hates him because as much as he tries to he can’t hate Louis.

Niall knows how much Harry likes, or liked, Louis and being in the middle of a fight is killing him. He wants to haul both of their sorry asses to a closet and make them talk it out and then force them to make out.

He’s wanted them together since the first night Harry called him drunk, deep in his woes about how Louis would never like him back.

"Okay. Whatever you say, Harry. When you see Perrie tell her we need more latex gloves please."

"Will do." He nods at Niall and then walks back inside the firehouse.

He strolls into the dining area to only see all of the truck crew sitting at their table and he sees the unknown guy cooking behind the counter. He must’ve missed them coming inside.

Harry heads over to the counter. He puts his hand out in a gesture to shake hands. "I don't think we've met."

The dark haired boy doesn't look up.

Harry drops his hand down to his side. "You must be the new candidate then. We don't get a whole lot of people to cook for us here. We eat a lot of cold pizza."

Harry furrows his eyebrows together and he can hear a scoff from behind him. He turns his head and nobody's looking at him. He looks back to the guy he presumes is Zayn.

"I'm Harry by the way."

"I know who you are." Zayn replies. His eyes remain down on the counter as he chops a whole carrot into slices. His eyebrows knit together with fierce concentration.

"Yeah?"

"Yep."

Harry looks off to the side and then back at Zayn again, for the third time as if something’s changed. It hasn’t. He doesn't comprehend why the guy isn't willing to have a conversation with him; he hasn't done anything to him, yet. "How?"

Zayn puts down the knife on the cutting board with an aggravated sigh. He finally looks up. "Look, you're one of rescue squad assholes, I was advised to steer clear of you unless I wanted trouble and I clearly don't."

Harry is taken back. "And who told you that?"

"Lieutenant Tomlinson,” Zayn grumbles. “Now, leave me alone, alright?”

Of course Louis told him that.

It's Rescue Squad vs. Truck or at least that's how it's been since the accident. It has a lot to do with the Lieutenants nevertheless. They're supposed to lead by example and they're doing a poor example of it now.

Harry's squad and Louis's squad have had trouble getting along recently; they either fight or don't speak at all. That’s fine, until they're on a call. Because then things get slowed down and orders get ignored, and then victims get hurt and they get yelled at. It isn’t fun.

Harry turns his head and his body follows to face Louis.

"Yes Lieutenant Styles? What can I do for you?" Louis asks cockily, eyebrow raised and smirk drawn as he stands dominantly by the front of the table. He's close enough for Harry to punch him and he's thinking about it. Part of him wants to see his emotional pain drawn out of someone physically.

"I'm getting real tired of your bullshit!"

"I don't give a damn what you're getting tired of!"

"Why don't you take your microdick and-"

"Hey!" A third voice yells and every single person, even Niall whose in the midst of coming inside from the garage, stops what they're doing.

"Chief-" Harry starts to say but is immediately cut off.

"What happened to being civil to each other? This is ridiculous. Why you're at it, why don't you go into the gym and beat the piss out of each other? Squad versus Truck, let’s go."

No one says a word.

"No? Is that not civil enough for you? But this-" he gestures between Louis and Harry. "This is?"

"It's entertaining." Michael Greene mumbles with his mouth full of chewed up pepperoni from cold, three day old pizza. He earns a jab to the ribs from Liam's elbow.

"We’re supposed to be a team here." Chief Stewart dominantly places his hands on his hips. "Boyd's dead."

"Chief we-"

"And nothing is going to change that. No one can change the past. Maybe it's us who need to change."

Harry looks back towards Louis. "Then maybe you ought to tell Lieutenant Tomlinson to keep his fucking mouth shut."

"Bite me."

"Fuck you."

Louis mockingly laughs. "That's your best comeback?"

"I didn't realize this was a contest."

Harry walks out of the dining area and goes upstairs to the sleeping quarters. He's thankful his bed isn't beside Louis's, but beside one of his squad members, Tony Ward.

He can't wait until he gets to go home. Their station has two shifts. Shift one, Harry's shift, works forty eight hours and then gets forty eight hours off. The forty eight hours they have off is when shift two works. It's an endless cycle.

For those forty eight hours everyone practically lives at the station. It's not difficult to do. There's sleeping quarters, fully equipped bathrooms with showers, and a kitchen all in the firehouse.

Harry lies down on the bed and as soon as he gets comfortable, already half asleep, the woman's automated voice comes through the speakers.

"Car Accident on Westbrook and Christine. Multiple victims. Squad Truck 7. Truck 21. Ambulance 51. Battalion 1."

Harry groans and gets up from the firm bed quickly. He makes his way downstairs to the garage to gear up.

A common stereotype with firefighters is that they slide down a pole when there are emergencies and they're upstairs. It's a typically a wrong stereotype. What usually happens is they haul their asses downstairs as fast as they can in fear that they're going to be left behind.

"Look who's decided to show up lads!" Curtis yells from behind the steering wheel of the ginormous red truck. He taps the side of the red monster with his hand. "Come on, Lieutenant!"

Harry quickly pulls his heeled boots off and replaces them with black rubber boots. He grabs his black and yellow jacket and hat. He'll finish getting changed on the ride. He climbs into the passenger seat.

There's no time to waste.

All of the firefighters at the station walk around prepared with their fireproof uniform pants on and red suspenders to hold the pants up. It's to make changing less of a hassle and a quicker task.

Curtis has the sirens on as soon as they pull out of the garage and they're stuck behind Truck 21.

Harry turns around in his seat to see the other three guys of his squad taking stupid videos of each other on their phones. He rolls his eyes. No one acts like there's an emergency which is kind of nice because everything's calm until they arrive on scene.

He pulls his jacket on over his grey t-shirt and his suspenders. He puts his helmet on his lap as he looks out the window, watching as cars pull over to make room for their vehicles.

It's a good feeling to be important. All of them are important, even truck is important. The EMTs are important. Chief is important. This is the feeling Harry's missed and he's honestly hoping this is the call that makes them a unit again. Deep down he hopes that he can patch things up with Louis. He misses admiring the brunette boy from afar. Now he's partially disgusted with him and it’s only because Louis is disgusted with him.

"How much longer?"

"Two minutes."

Harry nods. Car Accidents aren't his favorite thing to deal with just because there are a lot of things that can go wrong depending on the type of accident. Explosions are among one of the things.

"Hey Styles, I heard the new guy wants to be on squad. Funniest thing I've heard in a month."

Ward scoffs in appall. "It took me five years to make squad."

"You do know what they say. Don't you?"

"No, what do they say, Judd?"

"Either the guys are on squad or they're not good enough to be on squad."

"Like Tomlinson." Curtis snickers.

"That's enough," Harry suddenly snaps which in turn causes the uproar of laughter and snide comments to end. "We've got a job to do now."

He places his helmet on his head and jumps out of the fire engine that's slowly coming to a halt. The red and blue lights are reflecting off everything that has a shiny surface, making the night time sky seem surprisingly brighter.

It isn't hard to spot the accident out. It's fairly obvious with parts of the both cars lying uselessly in the street like scrap metal and the sound of shrill wailing piercing the cold November air.

Harry is quick to move towards the cars. He knows he shouldn't choose, he should go with whatever car’s closer, but he goes to the car that looks like it has more damage which is the front car.

The car's rammed straight into a telephone pole and the windshield is shattered among other things residing in the front of the car. Glass lies around the hood of the car almost like a halo. The back of the car is destroyed because the passengers were rear ended by another driver.

He wastes no time in on trying to pull open the driver’s door. He needs to get to the woman who has a gory and painful looking gash across her temple. The blood is trailing down her face and onto her once clean blouse.

"Ma'am can you hear me?"

"Yes! My son!" She shouts helplessly, gesturing with shaking hands to the adolescent boy in the passenger seat.

"We'll get to him. I need you to stay calm for me. Are you hurt anywhere else?" He asks. The door won't budge, no matter how hard he pulls on it. "We need the jaws!" Harry shouts back to his fellow firefighters.

"I-I don't know. Please you've got to help my son. He hit his head!"

"We're working on it, ma'am. I promise. We'll help your son. I need you to tell me where else you're hurt, so the paramedics can help you."

"My stomach."

"Are you sure? Is it your stomach or your chest? I need you to specific so you can be treated."

"My-my chest," The woman takes in a heavy inhale. "Right here." She places a hand on her chest, to the right of where her heart would be located.

"You're going to be fine." Harry looks around desperately for either Perrie or Niall. He instead brings his walkie-talkie up to his mouth. "Chief, this is Lieutenant Styles. We’re going to need two more ambulances. I've got two victims here. One is currently unconscious."

Harry doesn’t hear a response at first. It comes after several moments of silence. "They're on their way Lieutenant."

“Okay.” Harry sighs and hooks his walkie-talkie back into his belt.

Perrie's voice suddenly comes into play. "What have we got here?" Harry feels his lungs finally release from the breath he was holding in. He’s thankful for Perrie’s presence.

"Two victims. One is currently unconscious. I'm working on getting the jaws over here. I don't know if the other door is jammed. I haven’t tried it."

She jogs her way around the back of the second car and to the passenger’s side of the first one. She brutally pulls on the handle, forcing it open with one savage tug. "All clear!"

"Lieutenant step out of the way!" Payne shouts and Harry does. He watches as the large metal teeth are put on the door and the door is easily pried off after a few attempts.

Harry moves around to the other side to be with Perrie, but his eyes don't leave the stretcher and the paramedics that come over to take care of the now sobbing and incoherently blubbering woman. She's picked up and put down on her back. A neck brace is secured around her neck, but it doesn't stop her from screaming for her son.

Harry hopes her son makes it.

"What do we have here?" He asks.

Perrie looks at him. "Head injury. Possible brain bleed."

"Is he going to make it?"

"It depends how long it takes the ambulance to get here," She monotonously says. They’ve done this so many times that it quits coming as a shock. But Harry has a soft heart and every call they go on kills him a little more on the inside. “Niall’s treating the driver of the other car in the ambulance. Another ambulance was sent from Firehouse 13 to treat the woman with the head laceration. One more ambulance is on its way.”

“How’s the driver of the other car?”

“Drunk,” Perrie scoffs. Harry feels his throat tighten. That makes the case even worse. “Oh, but he’ll live. A few lacerations and a bit of whiplash, but he’ll be just fine.”

"Okay," Harry places a hand on Perrie’s skinny, but muscular back. "Where's that third ambulance?" He shouts over to no one in particular.

"Two minutes!"

"Harry, we don't have two minutes to waste." Perrie whispers.

"Are you sure it's a brain bleed?"

"One pupil is dilated. He's bleeding out of his ears. Yes, I'm sure."

"Perrie, he'll make it. I promise. Don't give up on him." He rubs her back and then walks over to the other firefighters, leaving her with Ward and Greene. He hears Ward’s guttural tone feed her reassurances. She cares a lot about her patients.

"Did you call a tow truck?" He asks.

"Yes, Styles. It's already taken care of." Louis replies, dryly. Harry gives him a good long stare.

"Good."

"Good."

Liam and Zayn look between the two of them with confusion.

"Everything alright?"

Harry stiffly nods. "Fine. It's fine."

The other ambulance arrives relatively quickly, sirens and lights drawing the attention of more civilians. People always like to watch the danger being taken control of for some odd reason. It's a bit sick to like to watch a horrific scene unfold like it's some kind of circus act.

The two paramedics, one a burly man and the other a petite woman, climb out of the back and jump into action. They both jog over to the car Perrie's crouched beside which leaves Harry and the boys to get the stretcher and backboard out of the white vehicle.

It's only a two person job. So, Louis climbs into the back and grips the yellow bars of the gurney, which already has the backboard laid on top of it, near the head.

Harry gets stuck with the end part and he grips the yellow bars as well. He slowly walks backwards, pulling the wheeled cart with him. "Easy. Easy, easy." Harry directs. The stretcher's now on an angle, most of the weight of it is in Harry's strong grip. Louis picks up the front slowly as they almost get the front wheels on the ground and then all of a sudden the gurney is dropped from Louis’s end.

The sudden weight shoves Harry with force and he stumbles back on the balls of his feet. He attempts to keep himself steady, but he’s already teetering too far back. Time freezes for a moment and the next moment he’s flat on his ass. He can feel the heat rise to his cheeks. He isn’t hurt, he’s fucking embarrassed. Even though he knows it isn’t that big of a deal, he’s still mortified about falling backwards in front of so many people. He gets over himself quickly.

"Shit!" Louis shouts. "Harry are you alright? It slipped right out of my hands."

"Stop fucking around! We need that!" Liam, Zayn and a few others rush over to the medical equipment and then roll it over to the scene of the car accident.

Harry can hear Louis's feet hit the pavement as he hops out of the back of the ambulance. When he opens his eyes and glances up, the older man is standing in front of him, looking truly concerned. His blue eyes are wide and his eyebrows are furrowed together. "Harry, are you alright?" He repeats. He reaches his hand out to help him up.

Harry quickly smacks his hand away. "Don't fucking touch me." Harry snaps and pushes himself up off of the pavement. "You meant to do that. Don't give me your fake fucking care. Do your job and I'll do mine."

Louis takes a step back. "I didn't-"

"Can you stop it? I know you meant to. I get it; I killed your best friend or whatever. Is it necessary for you to be a prick? You act like a fucking high school girl! Stop!"

"Harry-"

"Don't. I don't need your excuses." Harry walks away from the shorter lad. He doesn't miss the look he earns from Chief and he knows he's going to have to pay for that one later. He can't bring himself to care.

He walks over to the squad truck and climbs into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut. They don't need him. They're more than able to load that boy into the ambulance without his help. He wouldn't be that useful anyways.

He shuts his eyes and sinks back against the cold leather seat. The last of the ambulances speeds away with its sirens going off and Harry knows that it's the one with the young gentleman in it. He sincerely hopes the boy makes it for the boy's mother. She seemed destroyed as it was.

He hates when people he tries to save on calls die, which isn't surprising. It's awful to be informed of that. Someone they didn't even know dying affects everyone in the house terribly. It becomes a sad day.

The driver's door opens first and Curtis steps up into the car. The back door slides open and everyone else piles in. "Chief's pissed." Curtis says.

"I don't care."

"Okay."

Harry doesn't have any trouble sleeping that night. He doesn't worry about what the next morning might bring or how many times he'll be awoken by the woman's automated voice. He just sleeps.

~~~~~  
Harry wakes up the next morning and he honestly wishes he hadn't. As soon as the alarm jostles him awake he can feel the pain radiating through his body. He’s sore from his little tumble. He’s pathetic. He groans inaudibly and pushes himself up off of the bed. He walks off to the bathroom, making sure to grab his black kit from the dresser drawer.

He's thankful he only has twenty four hours before he gets a break for two days. It's been a terrible shift.

He checks the stalls in the unisex bathroom and notices hardly anyone's up. He goes into one of the stalls and sits on the toilet seat before unzipping the prized possession.

Perrie had told him one bottle two weeks ago and one bottle had become a bottle every shift. She couldn't resist him and he knows she hates himself for not being able to tell him no.

He pulls the little orange four inch bottle filled with little white pills out of his black kit, zips it up, and sets it back to the side. He keeps telling himself that what he’s doing is perfectly fine and he isn’t wrong and it'll be perfectly fine, but something inside him seriously doubts it. He ignores that something.

He snaps the cap open and pours two pills out into his palm. He wants to forget all about what happened and the pills disorient him enough without really causing harmful effects to his job. He knows how to smartly do it. Part of him can't believe he's resorted to this. He can't believe that he's stupid enough to ignore Perrie's doctor suggestions.

He gives his hair a tousle and then lifts his hand up to his mouth. He tosses the pills into the back of his mouth and he dry swallows them.

The medication doesn’t immediately take effect, but it will.

He closes the cap on the bottle, tosses the bottle into the bag, and zips it back up.

His ears perk up when he hears the water running outside of the stalls. He checked all the stalls and he didn't hear anyone come in. He swears he didn't. But he could’ve been lost in the moment.

He swallows harshly and decides to walk out anyways. Much to his dismay its Lieutenant Tomlinson standing by the sinks, washing his hands. The blue eyes boy looks up and meets Harry's eyes through the mirror.

Harry glances away quickly and drops his pack in the empty dry sink beside the one he's going to wash his hands with.

"What's that?" Louis asks, nodding towards Harry's noticeable carry on.

"It's none of your business." Harry replies as he wets his hands down. He doesn't look up at Louis again.

"Okay," Louis pauses. "There's breakfast in the dining room."

"I'm not hungry."

"I made it."

"Oh? Well, now I'm really not hungry."

Harry shuts the water off, picks up his carry on, and grabs a piece of paper towel on his way out of the bathroom.

"Harry."

He rolls his eyes at Louis's lame attempt to get his attention. He doesn't even turn around.

"Harry! Come on. Harry please, come on."

Harry turns around sharply. "What do you want, Tomlinson?"

"What's going on with you?"

"Me?" Harry scoffs. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"You know if you're not fine, you should think about taking time off."

Harry glares at him. "I think you should keep your opinion to yourself. That's what part of the problem is. There's nothing wrong. I’ve been sleeping like a baby. I'm guilt free, are you?"

"Yeah. But that's not what I meant."

"Here's where you're mistaken. I don't actually care, "Harry shakes his head. “Leave me alone."

He starts to walk away. "You can't walk away in the middle of an argument!"

"I'll do whatever I damn well please."

"Harry will you just hear me out?" Harry turns to face him again. He moves closer to him.

"No. Why should I give you my time when you made it clear that I didn't deserve yours? What makes you so impeccable?"

"I don't know."

"Let me know when you do."

He walks away for the third and final time.

~~~~  
“I’m exhausted.” Perrie complains. “Thanks for driving me home.”

Harry gives her an odd look as he drops his duffle to the ground with a thud. “You’re my roommate, why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know you’ve seemed upset with me lately.”

Harry shrugs at her and walks to the small kitchenette that has a window overlooking the gorgeous city. He opens the window and a cool breeze enters the compact apartment. Harry always says he’s going to get a nicer place for the two of them, but not on a firefighter’s salary he isn’t.

Sounds of mesmerizing music and obnoxious car horns also fill the usually quiet and abandoned apartment.

Harry clears his throat. “I’m in the mood for booze, do we have any?”

He confidently strolls over to the refrigerator and opens it to only become disappointed with what he finds.

“No. I drank the last of the beer a few days ago.”

“Great.”

“Sorry.” Perrie mumbles, unapologetically. She walks into the kitchenette and takes a seat in of the plastic stools that reside by the breakfast counter. “We could sit and talk. You know, like old times, instead of getting drunk and smoking.”

“All we ever do is sit and talk. Besides I could use a cigarette.”

“Not at eight pounds a carton you can’t.”

Harry cuts her a dirty look. “What? Are you my mother? Fuck off, Perrie, seriously.”

“I’m just worried about you, is that a crime?” Perrie pats the beige cushion on the stool motionlessly resting beside her. “Come sit. Talk to me.”

“Fine.” Harry rolls his eyes, slumps his shoulders, and drags himself over to the empty stool. He sits down and looks at her, eyebrows furrowed. “What would you like to talk about Perrie Louise Edwards?”

“Well Harry Edward Styles, I was just curious about how you’ve been? How you’ve been feeling?”

“I’m not a fucking nutcase.” Harry wryly replies.

“I didn’t say you were.”

“I’m fine, Perrie”

“Of course. So, can you quit taking those pills then?”

“Huh?”

Perrie hesitates; she turns her body towards Harry. “Well if you’re fine. Then you don’t need those pills anymore, right?”

“I’m fine, but I’m going to keep taking them. They make me forget.” Harry rubs his forehead.

“Forget what exactly?”

He meets her eyes. “Boyd.”

“As much as his death messed me up, I still think there’s a bit more to your story here, Harry.”

“You weren’t in the fucking house! You didn’t have to hear his agonizing screams or smell his burning flesh!” He stands up from the stool and starts to walk away only he’s got Perrie’s little pale hand round around his thick wrist. He’s stronger than her, but he’s curious about what she has to say, so he won’t fight against the whiny brat.

“What about Louis?”

Harry rolls his eyes. “What about the dickweed?”

“He saw Boyd go up in flames. Have you taken that into consideration? How he might be feeling?” Perrie purses her lips together.

“Well why don’t we get him a cake or something since he’s going through a rougher time than I am? “ He snaps. “I don’t care Perrie.”

“But you do.”

“No I don’t.”

“Really? So your little crush dissolved as soon as Chris died?”

“No, my crush for him died when he became a giant dick to me.”

Perrie raises her eyebrows. “Hm. I don’t think so,” She stands up, face to face with Harry, though her face to face with him is more of a face to chest since he’s quite a bit taller. “I think you’re still madly in love with him. You just don’t want it to be obvious because you think he hates you. You don’t want him to use that against you. You’re trying to get over him and somehow taking those pills makes you feel better, am I right?”

“No. Get away from me.”

“H.” She stresses the single syllable.

“No Perrie.”

She gives him the look. The look where her baby blue eyes widen innocently and her pink lips pout, it’s similar to the one Louis does. No wonder Zayn wants to have sex with her.

Zayn openly admitted how much he liked her, whether it slipped out on accident or on purpose, it’s enough to make Harry smile. He’s always wanted someone nice for Perrie. Zayn’s nice, it’s not his fault his Lieutenant is a dick and told him the wrong thing.

“Maybe you’re partially right.”

“No, I’m completely right, as always,” She smiles. “You need to get yourself hooked off of those pills. You’re going to destroy your kidneys and anyways they don’t help with stress. You can’t kill a mental pain with pills.”

“So what do you suggest?”

“Talk to Louis, quit taking those pills, see a therapist. Something.”

He steps back away from her. “I’ll figure something out. Have some faith in me.”

“I try to.”

~~~~  
“Wake up. Harry wake up!”

Harry’s eyes open and he’s expecting brightness like no other to blind him, but he’s met with darkness filling the entire area of his small bedroom.

He makes out Perrie’s voice whining at him to wake up.

“What time is it?” His voice is thick and lethargic with sleep.

“11:27.”

“Why are you waking me up? I’m tired.”

“And grumpy it appears,” she comments, wittily. “Well Zayn just texted me and he wants to go to the club tonight and–“

Harry cuts her off. “So you woke me up to tell me that? You could’ve left a note saying, ‘fuck boy and I went to the bar. Don’t go looking for me. By the time you read this I’ll be reaching my fourth orgasm in his dingy apartment’ and I would’ve understood perfectly well. Hell, I might’ve even bought you champagne to celebrate.”

Perrie groans. “No. I want you to come with me.”

“What point of I’m tired do you not understand? I’m tired, go on now. I’ll call you in the morning to make sure you aren’t dead.” He sinks down into the mattress and turns his back to Perrie.

“You leave me no choice, Harry.”

He doesn’t get what she means. In fact, he doesn’t get what she means until the lights flick on.

He lets out a groan and covers his eyes. “I’m trying to sleep!”

“Well I want to go get smashed at the club with Zayn!”

“Go by yourself; what do you need me for?”

Perrie frowns. “It’ll be no fun without you,” Harry finally turns over on his side to face her. She looks hot. Harry wishes he swung that way. She has a short, tight black dress with a low cut neckline on. Her makeup and hair are done impeccably. Oh yeah, she’ll get her way with Zayn Malik. “And anyways it won’t be just Zayn and I. You won’t be the third wheel. I heard that Niall’s coming and Liam’s bringing Sophia along with him.”

Harry stares at her. “Fine. Will you leave me alone if I go?”

“Yes!”

Harry sits up. “I’ll be down in five minutes. Let me make myself presentable and then we can go.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she cheers and leaves the room, not before getting even closer to Harry and placing a wet kiss on his cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He grumbles.

Lo and behold, four minutes and forty three seconds later, Perrie makes a point of telling him his time; he’s downstairs and ready to go. He’s dressed in a dark black-shirt with dark wash jeans.

“Hey, look at that! We’re matching.”

“Oh joy,” Harry snips and he notices the black heels she’s wearing, at least five inches in height. “Are you sure you want to wear those?”

“Yeah. I’m more than capable of making my own decisions.”

They really do bicker like brother and sister rather than best friends.

“Alright,” He says, warily. “I’m not carrying them around when you complain of your feet aching.”

“I won’t . Now, let’s go. We’re already late.” She huffs, walking out the door in a flash.

Harry rolls his eyes and unwillingly follows.

By the time he walks out to the parking lot, she’s already sitting in the truck with the radio on, engine revving.

He opens the door to the driver’s side and gives her a look. “Really? I’m moving as fast I can.”

She claps her hands together, resembling a small excited child. It’s not cute. “Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!”

Harry mumbles a few curses under his breath before climbing in the car and giving Perrie exactly what she wants. He turns down the radio about seven notches because he’s sure his eardrum will shatter if he has to listen to it at that volume any longer. “I’ve never seen you so excited.”

“Have you seen Zayn? Of course I’m excited. He’s gorgeous. And I’m happy we all get to hang out with each other like old times.”

“Uh-huh.”

“It’ll be a great time. Remember that time you got drunk and did karaoke with Niall? I do and those are the moments I live for. What song did you sing? Wasn’t it Pretty Woman? I think so. You know that song right? By Roy Orbison, I think. Speaking of Pretty Woman, I love that movie. Julia Roberts is a babe.” She’s just ranting at that point, at a speed which Harry can hardly detect anything she’s saying. He lets her talk because he is a gentleman.

Harry nods and makes noises of agreement every once and a while to let her know that he’s still partially listening.

She gets a bit too hyper sometimes. Tonight probably because she’s going out with Zayn, Harry doesn’t blame her. Zayn has cheekbones that cut and hair as sleek and dark as black satin. He’d be excited too.

He gets to the bar, Funky Buddha, in a record time of eight minutes. He can’t take Perrie’s rapid talking much longer than that whether he was actually listening or not.

“Finally, we’re here. You drive like an eighty year old man.” Perrie says all while climbing out of the truck and slamming the door shut.

Harry takes a bit of offense to that. “I do not.”

Perrie shrugs in response and waits impatiently for Harry to bring his slow ass around the front of the car so they can walk in together.

“You are literally the slowest person I’ve ever met. How you make it work as a firefighter I will never know.” She complains, annoyed.

They walk into the seating area, side by side, after being ushered by a guy who was most definitely taking steroids.

Harry asks, “Did you see the size of his muscles? “

“Shut up.”

Liam shows up out of nowhere with Sophia right by his side, as always. She’s at University to become a fashion designer. Fancy, Harry thinks to himself. “Finally! We’ve been waiting twenty minutes for you.”

Harry realizes that he can hardly hear him over the thumping bass of the hip-hop song filling the atmosphere of the club. He can hardly see him with the fiery red, dark blue, and lime green flashing lights everywhere.

“Sorry. Harry’s really slow.”

“What?” Sophia asks.

Perrie repeats, “Harry’s really slow.”

“What about French toast?”

“Nevermind.”

Harry can’t help the fit of laughter that comes to him. “Where are you guys sitting?” He asks Liam.

“Back this way. Follow me.” Liam gestures for them to follow him as he starts to walk towards the swamp of sweaty young adult bodies. This was his idea definitely.

They have to walk through the forest of bad breath, putrid B.O, and sweaty flesh before they make it back to a large table. It’s quieter, not silent, but quieter where they end up at.

“Here we are.” Liam gestures back to the table.

It’s nice, really it is, but Harry should’ve known that Louis would’ve been here. His eyes meet the blue, vengeful eyes of Lieutenant Louis Tomlinson and he knows he’s either fucked or good to go, if Louis’ drunk enough.

“What’s he doing here?” Louis asks voice full of venom.

Yep, he’s fucked.

Perrie calls over, “I invited him.” She soon loses interest in what’s happening because she sees Zayn sitting across from Louis and she came to get the prize.

Zayn eagerly pats the seat beside him and it would be a lie to say Perrie didn’t all but run over to sit beside him.

Niall sits beside Louis and his facial expression is contorted into one of pure anxiety.

“Why didn’t anyone fucking inform me? And don’t say you didn’t know.”

Liam sighs, looks between Louis and Harry, and finally speaks. “Lou, this was Zayn’s idea, anyone who wanted to come was allowed. Let it go man.”

Sophia glances at Harry with an expression of confusion. “What’s going on?”

“We’re at odds right now is all Soph.”

“Right, well, I’m going to go get the bartender and order some drinks,” Sophia informs. “Does anyone want anything?”

Niall’s the only who requests anything: a beer. He scrambles to his feet anyways to follow Sophia to the bar.

The atmosphere is quiet for a few moments, before Harry speaks, “Guess you’re going to have to ignore me if you plan on staying. I’m not leaving.” He comes over and squeezes into the spot beside Perrie at the table.

She’s already snuggled into Zayn, with their two chairs pushed together; it’s going to be a long night.

“Alright, let’s have some fun tonight, eh?” Liam promotes, coming to sit beside Louis on his side of the table.

The air is silent still like no one knows what to say; even when Sophia and Niall come back with drinks does it stay quiet.

“So, Zayn how do you like it at the firehouse?” Sophia asks, breaking the silence, and smiling with her eyes at him from across the table. She sits in-between Niall and Liam.

“I like it a lot.” Zayn says. He’s not one to elaborate, especially not with someone he hardly knows. Harry gets the shy vibe from him.

“You work under Louis right?” Sophia asks trying to keep the dying situation from being buried six feet under.

She really is a lovely, caring girl and beautiful too. It’s no wonder Liam wants to get married to her.

Harry remembers their engagement party quite well. Good time at the Payne’s household, definitely.

Zayn nods. “Uh yeah.”

Harry stirs the ice in his glass of water around and around with his straw, doing anything to avoid Louis’s glare. He can feel him staring at him.

“And how’s that?”

“It’s good. Louis and I have gotten quite close.”

“Yeah,” Louis suddenly speaks up, pulling his gaze away from Harry’s anxious posture. “Zayn came from Fire House 43 in South Shields.”

Perrie giggles, eyes looking up to meet Zayn’s. “Really? That’s where I grew up.”

Just make out already, Harry thinks.

“He was on rescue squad over there, but when he came over here I told Chief that rescue probably wasn’t a good place for him.” Louis continues, wryly.

Harry blurts out, “Why’s that?” His eyes hesitantly drift up to meet Louis’. The gaze is intense. Harry might throw up.

“Wouldn’t want him to work under you. You’re not too good at giving orders over there Lieutenant. Your men right now are lucky to be alive under your irresponsible ass.”

“Bastard!” Harry shouts, throwing his chair back, making it clatter to the ground, like an absolute madman.

Sophia’s hand flies up to cover her mouth in shock.

Perrie shuts her eyes as soon as the word leaves Harry’s pouty lips.

“Jesus Christ,” Niall whispers, hand feverishly rubbing over his forehead.

“Guys, can’t we all just have fun tonight?” Liam negotiates or tries rather. “Let’s forget about what happened.”

“Why the fuck did you need to bring that up?” Louis goes to interrupt, but he’s cut short. He’s cut off before he can even say the first syllable. “You didn’t! You didn’t need to say anything! You ruined this again. Goddammit, Louis.”

Louis looks dumbfounded, at a loss for words. What is he supposed to say to that?

“I should go.” Harry whispers. His eyes are starting to burn because why did he need to bring that up? He didn’t. He didn’t have to say anything. Why can’t he just hate him in silence?

“Hey, hey, no, shh,” Perrie says in a shushed voice, leans over, and grabs his hand. “Just pick the chair up and sit back down. Don’t go we just got here.”

Harry shakes his head. “I ruined it didn’t I?” His eyes are glazed over and he keeps his head down. “I should just go back home.”

Perrie shoots a look at Louis who doesn’t react in return. She stands up, a bit wobbly on her heels, and she takes both of Harry’s hands into hers. “Why are you upset? Huh?”

Harry shakes his head. “I’m fine.”

“No you’re not. Look at me. Harry, don’t cry. Why are you – Harry, stop, it’s not worth it.”

Harry doesn’t know why he’s so upset either. Maybe because it’s gone on long enough and he can’t take it any longer. Even the best fall down sometimes.

Louis keeps his eyes on Perrie and Harry. Harry can’t really be crying. Harry almost never cries. Has he seriously gone off and made Harry sad?

“Harry.” Louis says softly, standing up from his seat on his end of the table.

Harry sniffles. He doesn’t dare pick his head up. “Louis please stop.”

Everyone watches on, but they try to conceal it. Louis can’t stand the fact that he’s made Harry cry. He never meant to hurt him that much.

Perrie has her hands on his cheeks, having moved them from his hands. “It’s alright.”

“Harry, I’m sorry.” Louis whispers.

Harry looks up at him and his red rimmed eyes meet Louis’ crystal blue ones. “Sorry that I killed your best friend? Is it some type of punchline Louis?”

“No, I really am sorry that I upset you. Don’t leave.” He hates himself for making Harry cry. “I want you to stay.” This has gone a bit far. It really has.

“Okay, I guess.” Harry whispers, hesitantly. He goes over, picks the chair back up, drags it back over to the table, and sits down.

Harry feels like this is some type of trick. Louis isn’t that nice? He remembers when Louis was nice to him, probably because he felt bad for him, pitied him probably. Now Louis is nice to him again and he can’t stand it. There has to be an underlying reason.

~~~~

Another two weeks go by and nothing surprising happens to anyone. The tension between Harry and Louis is a normal thing now and everyone chooses not to question it and leave it as it is. Chief doesn't like it, but he quit trying to fight it. He wants his Lieutenants to be civil and respectable but that just isn't happening.

Perrie keeps telling Harry to stop asking for medication and to go see a doctor before it gets any worse, but he won't listen and he continues to find a way to keep getting it from her. She's disappointed, it's obvious by her facial expressions every time she hands him a bottle discreetly in the hallway or on the side of the ambulance. No one’s caught onto their little give-a-way's yet.

"Harry!" Perrie appears out of nowhere, grabs the wrist of his left arm, and she drags him into a different corridor. "We're fucked."

"I don't get what you mean."

"Niall was checking stock and he claims to have counted twenty five bottles yesterday and he only counted twenty three today."

"So?"

"So, he went to Chief Stewart," she pinches the bridge of his nose. "And he's insisting we find out what happened to the missing stock immediately."

Harry furrows his eyebrows together. "Well you're going to cover for me right?"

"Excuse me?"

"A good friend would cover for me."

"Are you insisting I'm not a good friend? I've-" she starts to raise her voice, but catches herself and lowers it again. "I've been stealing medication out of the back the ambulance for you and you have the balls to call me a bad friend?"

"I didn't say that."

"But that's what you meant. Isn't it?"

"No."

"Harry."

Harry argues. "No, Perrie, it isn't."

"What am I supposed to say?"

"I don't know. You're a professional, you'll think of something."

"I can't believe you. I don't know who you are, but you're not the person I moved in with Harry."

"Sure I am. I can't help that you've become arrogant."

Perrie glares at him. "What the fuck is your problem?" She gives him a shove. She's never been violent before. Harry knows she's pissed.

"I'm not the one pushing and shoving." He winks.

"You're crazy!" Perrie shouts abruptly. "You have a problem; you need to catch it before it gets worse. You’re dependent on those damn pills. What the fuck happens if you're on a call and you’re not on your a-game because you’re not focused. Someone would get hurt and you’d never forgive yourself." Harry goes to touch her shoulder, but she steers away. "No! Don't try to make this okay. This is it. I hope you enjoy what I gave you yesterday. That's the last of the goddamn medicine you're getting from me-"

"Perrie-"

"I'm not finished." she snaps. "No, I'm going to get myself into trouble because of your unappreciative ass. The last thing I need is a lawsuit for stealing drugs and medicating a colleague off-record."

Harry laughs in disbelief. "You're not going to get a lawsuit Perrie."

"How do you know that?"

"I - well I guess I don't."

"Exactly. You need to see a damn doctor. That should be your focal point right now. It's concerning to me that you're willing to put others in danger for your own selfish reasons."

"They're not selfish." Harry's stare turns into a harder one.

"Really?" Perrie laughs. "I know the reason you won't go to Chief or another doctor is because you're afraid to be forced to take time off. That's ridiculous and pathetic." Perrie looks away from the curly haired lad. "You're a coward." She whispers and walks to the other side of the hall.

~~~~

Harry storms into the dining room and as soon as he hits the door all eyes turn to him, especially Louis's.

Louis's bright eyes meet Harry's and his Adam's apple visibly bobs up and down. The look in his eyes isn't the cold, distant look Harry's seen for the past two months. They're bright blue and vibrant.

Harry looks away. That's the man he fell in love with. The one with bright eyes and a charming smile, even with his slightly crooked teeth. He hasn't seen that man since Boyd died something seemed to have changed inside of him. But it seems like the man he loved may be back. He can't help but let a small smile crack through.

Harry walks over to the counter and grabs an orange from the fruit bowl only to have the speaker go off as soon as he starts to peel the peel away.

"House Fire. 16351 West Avenue. Truck 21. Rescue 7. Ambulance 51. Battalion 1."

Everyone groans and the room fills with mixed complaints of being tired and being hungry.

Harry sighs and drops the half-peeled orange back into the plastic fruit bowl. He can already tell it's going to be a busy day filled with emergencies. It's not even seven a.m. and they've already received their first call.

Nevertheless he gets over his unwillingness and jogs through the hallway and out to the garage where everyone's pulling their boots and jackets on. He pulls his equipment on too.

He gets in truck and everyone's oddly silent. The crews tend to be quieter when they're traveling to a fire, even before Boyd's death it was that way as well. Fires are the most difficult and dangerous thing they have to do. There's always the factor of floors or stairs collapsing and explosions, among other things. It takes a clear mental state to fight a fire, that's how they're trained in the academy at least.

They arrive to the fire quickly and the atmosphere is all too familiar. The atmosphere heavy with thick, smoky air and a smell that is harsh to inhale.

Harry lets out a sigh as he steps down from the vehicle and he walks over to Chief with the four other members of his squad following. The group of five from squad is already standing over there.

Johnson asks. "What's the plan Chief?"

"There's still a boy inside. A search needs to be done. Tomlinson, Malik, and Payne take one side. Styles, Ward, and Greene take the other. Everyone else stay on standby."

Harry looks at Louis only to have the azure eyed gaze focused on him already. Louis turns away. "What side are you taking, Tomlinson?"

"Well, what side do you want?"

"Chivalry will get you nowhere." Harry snaps. "We'll take the right."

"We'll take the left."

"Obviously."

Louis sighs and Harry doesn't miss the look of disappointment on his face or the comforting arm Zayn wraps around his shoulders. He doesn't seem to remember when Louis started to like him again, assuming that's why he had the reaction he did.

Louis and Zayn seemed to have grown close since Zayn started a month ago. When the station goes to the bar off shift, Zayn and Louis are always together with Perrie trailing around. Since she's had profound feelings towards the quiet boy or so Harry guesses because Perrie only blushes and ducks her head down when Harry questions her.

“I’ll be back in one second. I need to grab something from the truck.” Harry excuses himself and hurries over to the truck. He reaches into his pants pocket, winds his hand around a cylinder like object, and pulls out the pill bottle in his pants. He needs to get rid of the anxiety he’s facing due to the situation.

He quickly uncaps it and dumps four pills into his hand. He shoves the bottle back into his pants after he swallows the white tablets.

Harry pulls his mask on, reappears over to his crew, and gestures for the two older men to follow him into the inferno.

Memories of October suddenly fill his mind. There hasn't been a fire this big since they lost Boyd and since Louis started hating him. He has to swallow back the bile rising in the back of his throat from distant memories of the screams of terror and agony echoing through his walkie-talkie.

The front doors are open this time when he approaches and he knows that Liam knocked it down with muscular body.

As soon as he steps in he notices that the place is a literal mansion. He sees the stairs leading down to the basement and the grand staircase leading upstairs first and then how vast the living room itself is. He's surprised. He must not have been paying close enough attention outside which isn't entirely shocking.

Ward shouts, "Greene and I will take the bottom floor Lieutenant!" He tries to give Harry the thumbs up gesture, but the gloves are too large.

Harry nods and starts to make his way upstairs and it’s all too familiar yet again. He would throw up right now if the mask wouldn't catch all of his putrid vomit and force him to most likely suffocate on it. He hears the yells of the word clear through his walkie-talkie, remaining down by his side.

He wishes someone would say they found the kid so he could get the hell out of there. He has a bad feeling in his gut. That kid could be anywhere. Under a bed, in a closet, stuffed in a cabinet, there's no way to tell.

"Fire Department! Call out!" Harry shouts after he takes his last step up the flight of stairs. He swears he hears a muffled reply, but he isn't too sure. After all he could be hearing things, there's no telling.

So, he shouts again, "Fire Department! Call out!"

"In here!" He's certain it's a real person’s voice after he hears the chorus of coughs that already follow the weak, squeaky-voiced reply.

He's runs to a room at the end of the hallway before the coughs finish. He tries the door, but it’s locked. He figures the kid must've gotten scared and locked himself in the room. "I'm coming in!" Harry shouts reassuringly and he has no other choice then to kick the door in, which he does so well.

The door flies open immediately on contact and Harry walks in the room. He spots the little boy crammed in under the blue race car bed. He pulls out his walkie-talkie. "I found the kid." Harry moves to the side of the bed and crouches down quickly, shoving the black device back in his belt. The little boy is hesitant when Harry puts his arms out for boy to grab onto. "Hey bud, don't be scared. I'm a firefighter. I want to help you. I’m Harry. What's your name?"

"An-Antonio." The boy coughs out.

"Okay, Antonio. You have to come here, so I can help you. I want to get you out of here." The little boy nods and slowly crawls out from under the bed. Harry smiles weakly and picks the boy up in his arms, keeping one arm under his neck and another underneath his knees. He can’t drop this little boy. He carries him out of the child like room and is met with Louis, Zayn, and Liam standing there. He hands the unkempt boy to Liam. "Get him out of here. I'm doing one final search."

Louis argues. "It's clear. We already searched."

"Well, I want to check again, you piece of shit." Harry snaps.

"Then I'm staying with you, asshole."

"Just - be careful. Chief says you have five minutes." Zayn reminds quickly and he turns away from the duo quickly. He rushes down the stairs to catch up with Liam.

Harry looks towards Louis. Louis looks towards Harry. "Are you coming or not?"

Louis rolls his eyes, discretely from his mask. "I guess so."

"You're welcome to get the fuck out of here." Harry points towards the stairs.

"Shut up and get your pride in check. You don't always have to be the hero, y'know? I said it was fucking clear, but you can't listen to that can you? Oh no, not Harry Styles. You have to be the one who gets the victim." Louis rants. Harry walks away from him, but Louis catches up to him and he's not done yet either.

He grabs his shoulder and forces Harry to look at him. "Doesn't it get tiring have to keep up such a big title? You're only in this because you like the label of being a hero. You're an asshole." He says it with no real venom behind his words; it's obvious to Harry that he's trying to get a rise out of him. He wants to talk this out. Louis actually wants things to get better between them. Unbelievable. Where the fuck was this attitude months ago?

Harry scoffs at him. "If you haven't noticed, Jerry Springer, we’re in the middle of a burning building right now. You can rant about what kind of asshole I am later."

He thought that maybe Louis started to like him again, but then again he was the one who provoked the shorter man. He doesn't care. He still has some hesitance and uncertainty towards him and Harry has always been the one to be quiet and let people talk down to him, but not in this situation.

Harry turns to him minutes later after a prolonged silence of searching rooms. "I think it's clear."

"What a genius you are."

"Now, Louis, there's no need to rub it in, love."

"Cute." Louis scowls.

"I know."

"Cocky too."

"Eh. Not so much cocky, just a smart-ass."

"That comes to you naturally I see."

"It's a gift. What more can I say?"

"And I thought I was a dick."

Harry laughs. "You are."

Louis shrugs and he walks down the stairs with Harry following close behind. Harry doesn't miss the obnoxious creaking echoing throughout the home, but he isn't sure where it's from.

Not even half way through climbing down the stairs, Harry pauses and grips the railing of the staircase. A wave of dizziness flashes in front of him and he feels like he’s going to vomit.

Louis pauses on a step or two in front of Harry, realizing the younger boy was no longer following him, He looks at Harry and raises his eyebrow in confusion. “Are you alright?” He asks seriously, climbing up the stairs between them to check on him.

Harry’s stalling and he isn’t doing it on purpose. He wants to get out of there as much as Louis does, but he doesn’t know if he can. Maybe he shouldn’t have taken four pills. He’s never taken four before. Perrie was right and he hates to admit that he was wrong as much as the next guy.

“Harry talk to me, what’s wrong?” He asks trying to meet Harry’s eyes through the fogged up masks they’re both wearing.

It all happens so suddenly. Harry can feel the stairs beginning to give and he has to be quick to react. His eyes widen and he realizes what’s about to happen. He pushes his arms out in front of him and shoves Louis down the rest of the steps.

Louis tumbles down the last eleven steps of the stairs. He grunts as soon as he hits the ground. He shuts his eyes and it takes him a minute to register what exactly just happened. There’s an immediate surging pain all throughout his back and limbs, he knows how much that’s going to hurt as the day goes on.

His eyes shoot open and he stares up at the fiery ceiling of the mansion.

Harry, he thinks to himself.

As soon as Harry hits the ground of the basement floor, unable of getting off of the stairs quick enough, all the air leaves his lungs. He's gasping for the air only seconds after he falls. Pain is radiating through his arm, he's sure he's injured it. Everything aches.

Louis, he thinks to himself.

Meanwhile Louis slowly gets up on his feet, lamely wipes his pants, and he turns, half expecting Harry to be there with him. "Harry!" He shouts and he looks towards the area where the stairs had been nearly seconds before.

Harry can hear his shout, but he can't reply as loud as he would like.

“Louis.” He croaks out.

The air isn't returning to him as quickly as he would like and he isn't quite sure why. Here he is, lying on the ground with a bum arm and a lack of oxygen. "Harry!" He hears again and only this time the familiar voice is accompanied by a familiar face. Louis's standing on the main floor, peering down at him. "Oh god, are you alright?" He asks with pure panic in his voice.

“Louis.” He tries again.

"Tomlinson, Styles what's going on in there?" Harry hears through not only his half crushed walkie-talkie, but Louis's too.

Louis pulls his walkie-talkie up to his mouth. "Chief, the stairs collapsed on Harry."

"Christ. Tomlinson, I'm sending Rescue in. Don't go down there. It's too dangerous."

"Yeah. Yeah. I got it Chief."

Louis is stubborn, but he only proves it to himself even further when he completely disobeys orders and jumps down from the main level to the basement level.

Harry would laugh if it didn’t hurt too much.

Louis drops to his knees and he doesn't care that there will be thousands of splinters in his knees. "Harry can you hear me?" He asks.

"Loud and clear captain."

Louis smiles weakly. "Good. Are you hurt?" He asks, pulling Harry's mask off. Since they're on low enough ground the oxygen levels are somewhat higher and anyways Louis could see the splattering of blood, Harry’s blood, covering the glass. He isn’t sure he wants to discover where the blood came from, but he needs to care for Harry.

"Come on, you-" Harry cuts himself off with a pained groan, eyes squeeze shut.

"Harry? Harry! Open your eyes for me, please, gorgeous, open your pretty green eyes." Louis taps his cheek with his surprisingly cold fingertips. He realizes what he’s saying as soon as he slips out of his mouth, but he doesn’t care what Harry thinks of it in that moment.

Harry opens his eyes and sees that Louis has one of his gloves pulled off and thrown askew.

"Mm?"

"Where are you hurt? I need to know."

"My arm. You're kneeling on my- god shit!" Harry shouts, teeth grinding and eyes shutting once again.

Louis looks down at where he's kneeling and removes his knees from Harry’s arm, although they were hardly even touching him, grazing his skin, maybe.

"Hey look at me." Harry flutters his eyes open again. "There you go." Louis whispers.

Louis notices the injury on Harry’s scalp, vast and gory. He’s literally oozing blood; coming out in pints.

Harry notices he’s not focused on him directly. "Wh-what are you-"

"You hit your head. Surprised you’re actually capable of injuring your big head, Harry." Louis jokes quietly; his eyes move back and focus on Harry's. "I'm sorry for these past two months."

"You act like-" he's cut off by his own coughing fit from the smoky haze starting to make its way down to them. "-like I'm going to die."

"Don't say that." Louis keeps his hand on Harry's cheek, like he's afraid he's going to drift away if he quits touching him. "I just want you to know that I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blamed you."

"It's okay, Louis. I'm - I'm sorry for being a jackass." Harry whispers. He shuts his eyes tightly as another dose of pain hits him.

"It's okay. I forgive you. I think the reason - part of the reason I was so angry with you was because-"

"Tomlinson, I'm coming down!" A voice Harry can identify as Ward's shouts. Harry doesn't focus on Ward being lowered down; he focuses on Louis's stunning blue eyes and his slightly parted lips.

Louis sighs, “We’ll talk about this later.”

There’s an awful amount of commotion coming from upstairs, disagreeing screams and loud crashes.

Meanwhile, Louis and Harry keep focused on each other’s eyes. Louis swallows and he moves closer without Harry recognizing it. Harry doesn’t realize until he feels Louis’s hot breath fanning his neck. “What are you doing?”

“You’ll see.” Louis leans in and pauses a minute before he does what he’s always wanted. He kisses Harry and its purposely long incase he never gets a chance to do it again after this.

He’s surprised when Harry kisses him back. The kiss doesn’t break for at least thirty-seconds and then Louis’s forehead rests against Harry’s. “I’m sorry if you didn’t like it. I felt obligated to.”

Harry laughs breathlessly. “I liked it,” He whispers. “This is like every movie ever. Cliché.”

Louis laughs in agreement and sits back once he hears Ward’s feet hit the cement ground.

Ward moves towards the two of them. The blue harness now in between his balled up fist. He hands it to Louis through trembling hands. "Put it on and I'll help you get him up."

Louis's eyes never leave Harry's even as he stands up, pulls the harness around his waist, and clips it into place. He's no member of rescue squad, but he knows how this works.

Ward has a hold on Harry from under his arms, trying to keep his spine straight in case he's injured it. Harry's trying his hardest to get up with his arm that isn't cradled to his chest. He has nothing to hold onto until the angel, Louis Tomlinson, himself gets a good hold around his waist and pulls him up.

Harry can hardly hold himself up; he’s trying, but stumbling like a baby deer.

Louis notices and pulls him closer just as his legs go lax. "I've got you. I've got you. Steady. Easy." Louis whispers as he catches himself on the wall before falling flat on his ass with a sudden gargantuan human being leaning against him.

"I trust you." Harry mumbles. He has one of his hands gripping part of Louis's uniform tightly.

Louis nods and it takes a few tries but he gets his arms hooked under Harry's knees and under his neck, making sure to keep his damn spine straight.

"Pull it up!" Ward shouts up to the awaiting firefighters as they wait for the signal to pull the lineup. "Send another line down here!"

Louis is soon sitting on the edge of where the abyss was created on main level as they lift him up. Harry, despite being bigger is still held tightly in his arms. Louis wouldn’t dare drop him. "Get me up." Louis orders. "Let’s go. Let’s go!" He snaps.

Harry has his head tucked into Louis' chest and his eyes shut. His fingers are curled around the older man's uniform. Now he knows how it feels to be the damsel in distress and he likes it. He would especially like it more in a less dangerous predicament.

He can feel the two of them being brought up higher as Curtis, Johnson, and Smith help Louis stand up. "Get Ward up and get out." Louis directs with annoyance laced in his words.

"Hold on Harry, we're almost out. I'm not losing another one." Louis says reassuringly, hurrying to get the injured man out of the burning building.

Harry feels the sudden cool breeze as they get outside. He's grabbed from Louis and strapped down to a gurney in seconds. He looks up and his eyes still catch Louis's as he and three others push the gurney towards Perrie and Niall.

He soon meets Perrie's shocked and eerie expression. "Hi." He mutters weakly. Perrie places two fingers on his throat and shakes her head after feeling the pulse. "It's too weak." She whispers to Louis. "And his jugular doesn't feel right either."

Louis looks at Harry and bites the inside of his lip. "Hold in there. I have to have a big discussion with you."

"I'm alright." Harry eyes are nearly half way closed.

"That's right. You're going to be alright, Harry." Niall chips in.

Perrie shakes his head. She's trying not to freak out. Had it been anyone else she wouldn't be, but this is him and she loves him.

"What's wrong?" Louis whispers.

"His blood pressure is too high. It's causing his jugular to swell. I need to get it down." She looks back towards Harry and watches as Niall cuts his shirt open and spreads it apart. "Harry I'm going to give you a shot of hydralazine in the chest. It's going to hurt a little bit, just stay with me."

"Mm. Okay."

Perrie nods and she takes the large needle from Niall. "You can do it." He claps her on the back which only makes her hands shake more. She slowly enters the needle right above his breast bone and injects the medication into him. He doesn't protest in the least, lays there limply is more like it. She pulls the needle out and watches Harry with watery eyes.

"Let’s load him in the ambulance." She chokes out. Zayn is quick to grab her and pull her into a hug.

Louis suddenly speaks up. "I'm coming with you."

"Lou, I don't know if there will be room in the back of the ambulance." Niall protests.

Louis lurches forward and grabs the collar of his uniform. "Make room."

Niall looks terrified; he gives in. "Right. I was going to do that anyways."

And room is made for Louis to accompany Perrie in the back of the ambulance as Niall drives. Louis grips Harry's left hand. Harry's awake, but barely. He's close to drifting into unconsciousness.

"Did you call ahead?" Perrie asks Niall.

"Yeah. They're waiting for us by the A & E doors."

Louis keeps his eyes on Harry. He's regretting fighting with him for two months continuously. He's scared to death that Harry isn't going to make it. He's got a head injury and an arm injury. There's a possible spinal injury and internal damage and Louis's not doing well with that at all.

They soon arrive at the hospital and the back doors to the ambulance are flung open as everyone works to get the gurney out.

"What do we have here?" A head doctor asks.

"22 year old male firefighter with a head injury and a broken arm, multiple contusions. I don’t know what else." Perrie replies.

Louis watches pathetically as they wheel him away.

Perrie skims her fingers over the back of his uniform. “He’s going to be okay. He’s a trooper.” She whispers. “Niall’s taking the ambulance back. Come inside and sit with me.”

~~~~

"I wasn't sure how you liked your coffee, sorry," Perrie apologizes, quickly, holding the styrofoam cup out to him.

Louis clears his throat, "Black," he takes the coffee cup from Perrie's trembling hands into his own. "Black is fine." He takes a drink of the scalding hot liquid.

"Oh okay, good," she takes an appropriate pause. "Any news yet?"

"He's still in surgery. Though, a nurse did come over and say that they should be moving him to recovery in about twenty minutes."

"Oh."

"And then they'll move him to a room after the anesthetic starts to wear off a bit, to ensure he doesn't have an allergic reaction to it, I suppose."

"Good," Perrie nods. "Did you get through to Anne?"

"Yeah."

"And?" She takes a sit in the blue plastic chair right beside him, crossing her legs and gripping her cup of coffee tightly.

"She started crying, but she's on her way down from London. Apparently, she was visiting Gemma. I told her to take it easy and take her time, that we'd take care of him until she made it down here. I'm never calling anyone with news like that, ever again."

"I understand." Perrie isn't sure what else to say, after a prolonged silence she asks, "What happened in there?"

Louis glances up from his lap, words feeling foreign to his mouth. "The stairs they - they collapsed when we, Harry was on them."

"Did you fall too? Oh god, are you hurt? Is anything hurting? Are you bleeding? You should've said something." She fusses, checking over him visually for any visible injuries.

"No, no," Louis ducks his head down. "I guess he felt the stairs starting to give. He pushed me down the stairs before they collapsed."

A laugh leaves Perrie's lips and she covers her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry, that's not funny. You're not hurt are you?"

Louis shrugs, "My backs a bit sore, but I'm alright. I'm not sure what happened to him. We were bickering, leaving the house you know, and all of a sudden he just stopped, looked like he was going to be ill. He looked fine before. I don't know."

"Fuck."

"Pardon?"

"I don't know if I should be telling you this or not, but I'm going to," she leans in close to Louis, mouth millimeters from his ear, and then whispers, "He's been taking these pills, pain killers excessively since a little after Chris died. I told him not to take any more than two. I watched him take them before you guys went in, I bet my ass he took more than two." She sits back up straight.

Louis looks startled. "So, what you're telling me is you knew Harry developed an addiction to pain killers and you never thought to tell anyone?"

"Who do you think was giving him the medicine?"

"Perrie-"

"You don't have to tell me. I already know. I was only feeding into his addiction, but you should've seen him, Louis. He was anxious and he was scared. I could tell he was scared. He said they made him forget and feel better. I thought I was helping him." She rubs her forehead. "I only wanted to help him. He claimed that they were going to help his stress migraines. He said he saw a doctor but then I called the hospital and they told me he hadn't been in since spring for his check up. I wasn't sure what to do."

"Oh god," Louis runs his hand through his light-brown hair. "Why did he start taking them?"

"Boyd's death, I guess." Perrie mumbles, unconfidently.

"You're lying."

Perrie swallows harshly and whispers a single word, "You."

"Come again."

"He started taking them because of you. He used Boyd's death as an excuse, but he started taking them because of you. I know he did."

"Why?"

"It's not obvious?"

"No?"

"He's in love with you."

Louis nearly drops his coffee on the sterile tile floor of the hospital. "Don't be stupid."

"I'm not. He's admitted it to me and to Niall. Hell, he'd probably admit it to Chief if he could."

"But what does loving me have to do with anything?"

"You were a dick to him."

"Okay? I don't understand."

"All he wanted was for you to love him back and he was driving himself crazy with thoughts of you hating him. You were really cruel to him, Lou, really cruel."

"I never hated him."

"You're a good actor then. Sure had me fooled."

"This is ridiculous. He took pills to prove what exactly?"

"He wasn't trying to prove anything. He thought taking painkillers was going to make him feel better, I guess. I told him that was false. As much as people like to believe it, pills don't fix mental pain, or broken hearts for that matter."

Louis remains silent, lips pursed, and eyes burning slightly. "But I do love him." He whispers.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"No, what did you just say?"

Louis whispers, confidently, voice not as shaky, "I love him."

"I know," Perrie laughs, mockingly. "I think someone would have to be blind to not see that. Louis, I hate to burst your bubble, but it's so obvious. It was obvious to everyone that you two had feelings for each other, well everyone but the two of you."

"Really?"

"Yes really," Perrie bites her lip. "You need to talk to him."

"I will."

She places her hand on his shoulder. "Good lad. I feel like the bloody matchmaker."

Louis laughs at that, trying to get the butterflies in his stomach to subside, as he carefully plans his words out.

~~~~

Harry wakes up to his mum out of all people staring down at him. "Mum?" His voice is hoarse.

"Oh my baby," She coos, leaning down, and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I thought the worse when I got the call."

"I’m not a baby."

"That's right you're a big, brave firefighter."

"Mm."

"Louis is the one that called me. I don't think he's slept at all. He's gone to get coffee with Perrie. Everyone was here, but they all had shift to get back onto."

"I figured." Harry whispers. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing is wrong with you, silly."

"Mum."

"Well, you have a pretty severe head injury and a bad break in your arm. They were worried about a back and neck injury, but there wasn't any. Besides a bit of whiplash."

"How long am I off of work for?"

"That's what you're worried about?" A new voice comes into the picture and he picks his head up to look over at the doorway where Louis and Perrie are standing with cups of coffee in their hands. Louis shakes his head. "Come on, Styles."

"Seriously, how long?"

"Doctor said it could be anywhere from four to eight weeks." Louis comes closer to the bed.

"Fuck."

Perrie comes over and kisses Harry's forehead. "Let’s give the two of them a few minutes." She goes over to Anne, places a hand on her shoulder, and nods towards the two boys. Anne understands almost immediately, because she gets up and follows Perrie out.

The door shuts behind them.

Louis looks at Harry and sighs heavily. "Perrie told me you were taking pills like there was no tomorrow and that’s probably why you looked like you were going to pass out on me on the staircase. They’re too strong and you took too many."

"Perrie has a big mouth."

"You could've gotten me killed or anyone of us killed, Harry." Louis shakes his head in dismay.

"But I didn't."

"But you could've!"

"It's over now. What's it matter?"

"It matters because you could've caused someone to get seriously injured."

Harry laughs. "I got myself injured. Does that count for anything?"

"That's not funny."

"I think it is."

"You wouldn't if you were the one who witnessed it." Louis crosses his arms over his chest. "I didn't know what to think. It looked really gruesome."

"I thought you hated me." Harry mutters.

Louis looks alarmed. "No." He snaps. "I've never hated you. I was angry. There's a difference, Harry."

"Are you angry now?"

Harry's always been concerned about impressing Louis. Even when they weren't on speaking terms and at each other’s throats, Harry's main concern was always Louis.

"No."

"Good."

Louis nods and then pauses, his eyes fall back on Harry after drifting away to look out the window. "Are you angry with me?"

"Not at all."

Louis smiles weakly. "You saved my life."

Harry blushes a bright red. "I didn't save your life, Lou. You would've just fallen like I did." He mumbles and he plays with his fingers.

"No. You would've fallen on top of me and no offense but you're a big guy."

"Big in all the right places."

"Oh...god." Louis blushes this time and covers his face with both hands. "I didn't mean it like that. I- god, sorry."

Harry smiles brightly at him. "I know. I'm teasing you, babe."

"Cheeky asshole."

There's a long bit of awkward silence. Louis stares away from Harry and Harry keeps his eyes trained on his hands. "Can I tell you something?"

Louis looks back towards Harry. "I swear to god Harry, if it’s about your penis I will-"

"It's not."

"Then proceed."

"When you kissed me it was the best thing I've ever experienced and I realized I want to experience the depths of Louis Tomlinson all the time."

Louis looks dumbfounded. "You remember the kiss?" Harry nods. "I didn't think you would, you were really out of it."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Do you like me?"

Louis admits. "A lot. Yeah. I was angry with myself for liking you. I blamed you for everything that happened with Chris and I sincerely believed it was your fault. Then I realized that it’s no one’s fault and it’s okay to like you.”

Harry guesses it makes sense. Louis was awfully rude and he felt like at one point it wasn't about Boyd. He must have been in denial. Harry doesn't care about his sexuality, if he likes him, he simply likes him. There shouldn't be a label on it.

"So, where does that leave us?" Harry asks pathetically.

"When you get better, we'll discuss it. I don't know how well Chief will react with both of his Lieutenants being gay for each other."

"Do you care?"

"Not really. Do you?"

"Not at all."

Louis smiles and he sits down in the chair besides Harry's bedside. "Good." He grabs his hand and gives it a tight squeeze.

~~~~

Harry feels like his recovery is an eternity. Every day feels like a week and every week feels like a month.

Louis argues with him every time he starts to rant about not being able to be at work. He claims that every day feels like an ordinary day, but then Harry argues that he isn't the one on bed rest.

Louis comes over the days he doesn't have work and he doesn't leave the days he doesn't have work either. He practically lives with Harry and Perrie with the addition of Zayn since he's so infatuated with Perrie and won't leave her side either.

He sits with Harry on his bed for the first few weeks because doctors advised that he didn't do anything too strenuous since his head injury was severe. It's mainly Louis telling Harry how much everyone misses him at the station and Harry ranting on and on about deep poetry that Louis wants to hear Harry explain for the rest of his life.

Harry really likes being the damsel in distress.

After Harry can come off bed rest, the two of them spend a hell of a lot of time in the kitchen. Even with Harry's bum arm which keeps him unable to go to work, he and Louis cook a variety of food that they never end up eating, but Perrie and Zayn do. Everything from cupcakes to fajitas, they find all their recipes online and force Perrie to run out to the market to get what they need.

It's a good life. Louis usually ends up sleeping in Harry's bed with him when he spends the night and it's always a hard time for Harry when Louis has to go to work, because he doesn't get to see Louis for two days and his mum stops by to monitor him hourly.

Six weeks go by before Harry's cleared to go back to work and Louis jumps in his arms after Harry hangs up the phone and tells him.

"Everyone's going to be excited to see you." Louis whispers. He has his arms wrapped around Harry's neck and his legs wrapped around the younger boy’s thin waist.

"You think?"

"Yeah. I told you they brought in that Lieutenant from another station and everyone hates him. He's no you." Louis meets Harry's eyes and Harry leans in and kisses his lips. Louis sighs against his lips.

Harry pulls away with furrowed eyebrows. "Why the sigh?"

"Harry, what are we?"

"I'm Harry and you're Louis."

"Charming." Louis bites the inside of his lip. "But seriously are we friends or dating or enemies? What are we?"

"Enemies, definitely."

Louis groans at him. "I'm serious."

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it."

"Oh..."

Harry smiles. "What do you want us to be?"

"Well - I kind of want - I mean I get if you don't - but I think it'd be -"

"Spit it out."

"Boyfriends." Louis blurts out.

Harry plans on tormenting him just because he likes the exasperated flushed expression he gets. "What about boyfriends?"

"Harry!" Louis slaps his chest with one hand. "Fine. Will you be my boyfriend?"

"Depends. Will you be mine?"

Louis glares at him. "You're so stupid. Of course."

"There's your answer then." Harry smiles and he kisses Louis again.

Louis literally giggles against Harry's lips. "Good." He leans his forehead against Harry's.

Harry walks over to the bed, lays Louis on his back and then proceeds to climb on top of him to straddle his waist. He places kisses all over Louis’s face.

Louis laughs around all the kisses Harry’s given him. “What in the world are you doing?”

“I’m trying to be romantic. Is it working?”

“Yes.”

Harry keeps up the romantically inclined behavior up for a while and when he tires of it he rolls off of Louis and flops on the bed beside him. He stares up at the ceiling and shakes his head. “We have work tomorrow. Together.”

“Yeah. So we ought to be going to sleep soon Lieutenant Styles.”

“I reckon you’re right Lieutenant Tomlinson.” Harry sighs. “Do you think everyone will approve of this?”

“I think so. I don’t see why they wouldn’t. I mean Perrie and Zayn were alright with it. I think Liam think’s we’ve been together for a while. Niall is Niall. He doesn’t really care as long as we’re happy. Everyone else shouldn’t really be bothered by it.” Louis sighs. “We don’t have to tell anyone either. Let them figure it out themselves. Whatever you want to do, Harry.”

Harry mumbles a reply while he moves closer to Louis. He buries his head into his chest. Harry likes to pretend that he’s smaller than Louis is and that he isn’t the lanky six foot something man he is. He likes Louis’s warmth that he gives off through everything from his body language to his personality. Louis just has a comforting nature about him. It makes him a good firefighter. Harry won’t argue that. Louis is also quick-tempered which is bad for the career field he’s in. When Louis is angry there’s no turning back and there’s certainly hell to pay. It makes the job a bit more hazardous than usual.

“Do you have your alarm set?” Harry asks quietly as Louis cards his fingers through his curly hair.

“Yep, bright and early for six a.m.”

Harry nods and curls up closer into Louis’s side, still trying to act small.

~~~~  
“Come on Harry. You’re so slow!”

Harry rolls his eyes, hiking the big duffle bag over his now fully healed shoulder. “I’m coming. I’m coming. I don’t get what your fucking rush is.” He slams the passenger door shut.

Its Harry’s first time back to the station and Louis may or may not have a surprise waiting for him inside. Harry’s moving like a fucking snail and Louis is eagerly bouncing on the balls of his feet, waiting to show this boyfriend of his what he’s planned especially for him. Harry doesn’t get why Louis is acting so much like an annoying fifth grader with a secret. He isn’t sure he wants to know. It’s weird.

“Harry come on! I’m going to die of hypothermia by the time you get your flat ass over here.”

“Better have Niall check that out along with the ants in your pants.”

Louis rolls his eyes. “Cute.” He reaches down and grabs Harry’s hand, lacing their fingers together.

Harry gives him a wild-eyed look as he basically drags him towards the garage. Harry can’t even plant his feet into the ground because its cement and Louis’s trudging across the snow with no sign of stopping until he gets to wherever he’s trying to get to.

They get inside the garage and Harry guesses everyone’s inside eating breakfast that Zayn probably slaved over the stove making. Everyone’s lucky he likes to cook or at least he’s good at cooking or they’d be eating what they had to eat while Liam was candidate aka cold delivery pizza because Liam couldn’t make popcorn without burning it to a crisp.

Louis looks visibly confused. “It’s a bit quiet.”

“Yeah I guess.”

Harry whips his head around when he hears one of the fire trucks engines rev up. He watches Rescue Truck 7 pull out of the garage and onto the pavement just outside the garage.

Behind the truck there’s a big white banner with Welcome Back Lieutenant Styles in big red block lettering and everyone from shift standing in front of it with earnest smiles on their faces.

Harry looks at Louis with a look of pure joy on his face.

“You didn’t.”

Louis tugs Harry closer and places a hand on the small of his back. “Oh, but I did, babe.”

“Thank you.” Harry kisses Louis right then and there.

Louis protests. “Harry-“

But Harry doesn’t care who’s standing around watching, although his smile does grow when everyone gives them a round of applause.

Harry pulls away from Louis and walks towards everyone. “You guys really shouldn’t have.”

Niall laughs and pulls the leaner boy in for a tight hug. He ruffles the back of his curly hair. “Are you kidding? Even you’re not that modest, Styles.”

“Bite me Niall.” Harry says with no real venom behind his words.

Niall shrugs and pulls away from Harry.

Liam’s next to hug him and he doesn’t let go easily. “We really missed you here Lieutenant.”

“Back off Liam. You’re entering dangerous territory.” Louis warns, not so kiddingly, after he feels like the hug has been long enough.

Liam’s quick to move off of Harry because Louis scares the shit out of him when he’s angry. Louis smiles in accomplishment.

Everyone else hugs Harry and all the hugs are genuine and well anticipated. That makes Harry happier than anything else.

“The other Lieutenant was that bad, yeah?” Harry asks as the last round of hugs from Curtis finish up.

Ward shakes his head. “You have no idea. It was terrible. We all thought you were a hard-ass, man were we wrong.”

Harry laughs, but it starts to die out when he sees the Chief approaching him. He doesn’t know what to expect. He doesn’t know if he’s going to be yelled at or if he’s going to be asked to leave. He has to know about Louis and him. He has to. Perrie surely went in and told him or he saw the interaction from earlier. That’s enough for relocation.

He doesn’t expect a huge hug from the aging man, but he gladly returns it.

“It’s an honor to have you back working with us Styles.”

“It’s an honor to be back Chief.”

Chief nods and starts to pull away, but pauses and leans in closer. “I approve of your relationship with Lieutenant Tomlinson, but I’m going to have to ask that you leave your personal business outside of work and you both act like responsible, mature leaders and not star-crossed lovers.”

Harry smiles. “Of course.”

There’s a static noise followed by a woman’s automated voice. Harry’s craved the sound for so long. “Car Accident on Hallmark. Rescue Squad Truck 7. Truck 51. Ambulance 21. Battalion 1.”

Chief pulls away with a nod. “Good. I know we’ve gained a member of our family back, but there’s still a city to be protected. Return back to work.” He walks away to the separate garage to get geared up.

Louis looks towards Harry. “Are you ready Lieutenant Styles?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be Lieutenant Tomlinson.”

And maybe, just maybe before they go their separate ways they sneak a kiss.


End file.
